MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2014 SPORTS

Sharapova targets Photo of the day Stuttgart titles

STUTTGART: opens her to get back to your best. claycourt season in Germany this week where “I was out of action for four months and she hopes to claim a hat-trick of Stuttgart hardly played after last year’s . titles and her 30th WTA career trophy. But I’m back to 100 percent now and I want to The defending champion is unbeaten at win in Stuttgart.” Sixth-seed Sharapova will the indoor tournament having won both the face the Czech Republic’s Lucie Safarova in 2012 and 2013 crowns on her two previous the first round in Stuttgart. She has a 3-1 lead appearances. in her series against the 27-year-old with her “I’ve competed here for the last two years most recent win coming in the third round at and won both times, so I have only positive Miami. memories,” Sharapova told the Stuttgarter In addition to Sharapova and Angelique Nachrichten. Kerber, Germany’s number one, Poland’s “I don’t want to miss out on an experience Agnieszka Radwanska, plus former world like this.” Sharapova, who turned 27 on number ones , Jelena Saturday, enjoyed her last title in the 2013 Jankovic and will also feature in final when she beat China’s with a com- Stuttgart. manding display before losing in straight sets Having arrived at last year’s tournament to in the French Open final. with enough baggage to fill two cars, World number one Williams, who enjoyed Sharapova admitted she may not be travel- her 15th straight win over Sharapova in the ling light to Stuttgart on this occasion either. Miami semi-finals last month, is absent from “I had to let them (the organisers) know Stuttgart, but seven of the world’s top 10 will straight away that I’d need another car again be battling it out to reach next Sunday’s final. this time too,” she laughed. “I’ll be in Europe “I am a person who loves the challenges for the next two months and therefore I have and I don’t go out of my way to avoid any- a lot of gear with me-racquets, equipment one,” said Sharapova when asked if she was and a few other things.” glad not to face Williams in Stuttgart. Having won all four titles in “Serena has been playing her most suc- her career, including Wimbledon as a 17-year- cessful tennis in recent years and my aim old in 2004, Sharapova admits there is one must be to learn from the defeats against her title she really wants to claim. and work to get to her level.” “Olympic gold at Rio 2016 would be won- Injury to her right shoulder means derful,” she revealed, having lost the 2012 Carlos Sainz Jr. and traditional band pose for portrait during the Red Bull Show Run in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Sharapova has dropped to ninth in the world Olympic final to Williams. “I was really —www.redbull.com rankings. “At the moment, it’s a little hard for impressed by London and there is something me to look at the world rankings, but it’s not a unique for a tennis player, as we’re normally problem,” she insisted. on our own, to be part of huge team and live “Because of my success at Grand Slams, I in the Olympic Village,” she said. “It would be a expect a lot of myself, but I have to be realis- life-long dream to play for gold again in Rio Wawrinka defeats Federer tic and after an injury like that you need time de Janeiro.”—AFP to win Monte Carlo Masters

MONTE CARLO: Stanislas Wawrinka signalled his French Open ambitions when he beat Roger Federer 4-6 7-6 (5) 6-2 in an all-Swiss Monte Carlo Masters final yesterday. Third seed and champion Wawrinka recovered from the loss of the open- ing set to claim his maiden Masters title on the Monte Carlo clay just six weeks before the start of the May 25-June 8 grand slam tournament in Paris. “I am really happy, after having won a first grand slam title to win a Masters, it’s outstand- ing,” Wawrinka told a courtside interviewer. “Roger, you’re the best player ever, it’s always special for me to play against you and I hope we will have a great year you and me.” Federer, whose only defeat in 14 previous encounters against Wawrinka had occurred in Monte Carlo in 2009, said: “I had a great week. Congratulations to Stan, I hope it will continue for you like that for years.” Fourth seed Federer, who had beaten an injured Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, was his brilliant old self for KUALA LUMPUR: Donna Vekic from Croatia (left) poses with her trophy after defeat- almost an hour but the 17-times grand slam ing Dominika Cibulkova from Slovakia in the women’s singles final match of the WTA champion was eventually overwhelmed by his BMW Malaysian Open. —AP opponent’s power. Wawrinka played with great depth and pow- er as Federer was eventually pushed back far Vekic upsets Cibulkova from his baseline and was prevented from attacking. MONTE CARLO: Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland (right) and compatriot Roger Federer (left) KUALA LUMPUR: Croatia’s Donna Vekic here really helped, so this win is for them as Federer saw off a break point in the fourth pose with their trophies for photographers after the final match of the Monte Carlo Tennis became the first player under 18 to win a well,” said Vekic. game, Wawrinka banging his racket on his head Masters tournament. —AP WTA title for eight years yesterday when Vekic’s win was also her first victory over in frustration after his passing shot went long. the line passing shot. with a forehand winner down the line as Federer she stunned top seed Dominika Cibulkova a top 10 player. At 17 years, 10 months and Federer was more composed, breaking for 3- Federer saved more break points in the looked disorientated. 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) in the Malaysian Open 23 days, she is the first player under 18 to 2 as Wawrinka’s usually reliable backhand sailed fourth game, including one with a superb fore- Federer went to the net to save another break final. The 17-year-old shrugged off another win a WTA title since Vania King won long. Another long backhand from Wawrinka hand winner as the second set went into a point at 2-0, but a crosscourt forehand earned rain-hit day to beat the world number 10 Bangkok in 2006 aged 17 years, 8 months gave Federer the opening set after 42 minutes. tiebreak. Wawrinka a second break and a 3-0 lead. He fol- Slovakian and win her first title after two and 12 days. Cibulkova, who was stretched Wawrinka opened a 2-0 lead in the second Federer saved two set points before lowed up on serve and Federer never threatened unsuccessful final appearances in Tashkent to three sets in both the semis and quarter- set, only for his opponent to steal his serve Wawrinka finally finished it off with a smash. a comeback, bowing out on yet another fore- in 2012 and Birmingham in 2013. Vekic, the finals, conceded an early break in the first straight back with a stunning backhand down Wawrinka broke in the first game of the decider hand winner by Wawrinka.—Reuters youngest player in the main draw, had a set but took advantage of a break in play healthy 5-1 lead in the third set and should due to rain to recover. have served out the match. When play resumed, Vekic made errors, However, Australian Open runner-up allowing Cibulkova to take the opener after Germany, Czech Republic Cibulkova clawed her way back into the breaking her 95th-ranked opponent’s serve match to 5-5 in an absorbing final at the in the 12th game. Royal Selangor Golf Club in Kuala Lumpur. But the young seventh-seed was unper- “It was a tough match, she played very turbed and saw out two nerve-wracking storm into Fed Cup final well. I was 5-1 up in the third set but she sets to come back and deny Cibulkova’s bid played insanely well to get back. The fans for a fifth career WTA title.—AFP PARIS: Germany reached their first There was also a practical reason Fed Cup final since 1992 yesterday for the unusual dress code. After where they will face the Czech arriving in Germany, Kerber and Republic who have featured in Petkovic will fly straight to Stuttgart Veteran F1 boss Ecclestone three of the last four title matches. for the WTA claycourt tournament, Germany completed a 3-1 victo- which starts today, and will need all faces German bribery trial ry over Australia in Brisbane while the rest they can get for their the Czechs, the 2011 and 2012 win- matches tomorrow or Wednesday. LONDON: Formula One chief executive public offering of Formula One after a ners, defeated defending champi- “It was overall reasonably disap- Bernie Ecclestone goes on trial for bribery planned listing in Singapore was aban- ons Italy 4-0 in Ostrava. The Czech pointing, especially when you don’t in Germany this week in a case that threat- doned because of turbulent markets two Republic will host the final on get through,” Stosur said. “I don’t ens to end the Briton’s long reign as the years ago. November 8-9. know if I can fight any harder than I commercial boss of the motor sport. put Germany did in that match.” Prosecutors in Munich have charged CVC DEAL into their first final in 22 years-when In Ostrava, Petra Kvitova, the Ecclestone, 83, with bribing jailed former CVC paid around $830 million to buy a Steffi Graf starred in the win over world number six and a former German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky to 47 percent stake in Formula One held by Spain-with a fighting victory over Wimbledon champion, saw off smooth the sale eight years ago of a stake German bank BayernLB from 2002-06. . 20th-ranked 6-3, 7-5 in Formula One to private equity firm CVC. Prosecutors allege that Ecclestone chan- World number seven Kerber in an hour-and-a-half to hand the CVC remain the largest shareholder in neled $44 million to Gribkowsky, chief risk fought back from dropping the Czechs an unassailable 3-0 lead. Formula One, a business that generates officer at BayernLB, for having helped to opening set to beat former US Klara Koukalova and Andrea annual revenues of over $1.5 billion from ensure that CVC took control of the sport Open champion Stosur 4-6, 6-0, 6-4 Hlavackova then earned the fourth its series of grand prix races held around rather than any rival bidder. They argue in two hours 14 minutes to give point for the hosts after beating the world. that Ecclestone favored CVC because it was Germany an unassailable 3-0 lead. and Karin Knapp 6-2, CVC co-chairman Donald Mackenzie has committed to keeping him on as chief The Australian pair of Casey 5-7, 11-9 in the dead doubles rub- said that he would fire Ecclestone if he was executive. Gribkowsky, who is expected to Dellacqua and Ashleigh Barty pre- ber. “I’m happy we’ve made it and it found guilty of wrongdoing. Ecclestone, a give evidence in this trial, was jailed for vented a wipe-out when they will be a pleasure for the whole former used car salesman who became a more than eight years by a Munich court in claimed the “dead” doubles rubber country to host the final again,” said billionaire by building the sport into a 2012 for tax evasion and corruption in rela- 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 10-2 over Julia Kvitova, praising her fellow players global money spinner over the past four tion to the payments. Goerges and Anna-Lena as “a superb team”. decades, denies wrongdoing and says he Ecclestone has said he paid Gribkowsky Groenefeld. “It’s a very special In the World Group play-offs, will fight to clear his name. He could face $10 million but says that this was designed moment for me and the whole where the winners will play in the up to 10 years in jail if convicted. to silence the German banker who was team,” Kerber said. elite section in 2015, Russia, playing The case opens in Munich on Thursday threatening to make false claims about his “It feels great. I played a good without Maria Sharapova, beat but hearings will be held only once or tax affairs. Ecclestone denies the payments match but it was a tough one Argentina 4-0 in Winter Olympics twice a week to allow Ecclestone to carry were linked to the CVC deal. because Sam was playing also very host city Sochi. on the day-to-day running of the motor The arguments were rehearsed in a civil tough and I have never beaten her In Barcelona, world number sport. It is scheduled to last at least until case in London late last year when before.” Germany celebrated their three Agnieszka Radwanska collect- September. Ecclestone successfully defended a sepa- victory by flying back to Europe in ed three points over the weekend Despite his age, Ecclestone attends rate $100 million damages claim over alle- their pyjamas. as Poland edged Spain 3-2. almost every grand prix and remains cen- gations he undervalued the business when “We’ll be flying home in pyjamas, Radwanska won both her singles tral to the sport’s commercial success. He it was sold to CVC. that was the deal,” Andrea Petkovic and then teamed up with Alicia has always dismissed talk of retirement and Although he dismissed the damages told SID, an AFP subsidiary, after the Rosolska to beat Anabel Medina- there is no obvious replacement when he claim, British judge Guy Newey said he team had previously said they Garrigues 6-4, 6-2 in the deciding does finally quit or is forced out. believed the payments from Ecclestone would don nightwear, which were doubles. In Quebec City, Canada The uncertainty over Ecclestone’s future were a bribe and added that he found it BRISBANE: Angelique Kerber of Germany reacts after winning her gifts from the Australian team, for lead Slovakia 2-0 while the United is one of the factors that make it hard to impossible to regard him as a reliable or match against Samantha Stosur of Australia during the Fed Cup semi- the 24-hour flight home via Dubai, States and France are 1-1 after revisit stalled efforts to launch an initial truthful witness.—Reuters finals between Australia and Germany. —AP if they won. Saturday’s opening singles.—AFP